


The Prince in the Tower

by yami0204



Category: Kamen Rider Kiva
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fairy Tale, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-30
Updated: 2019-06-30
Packaged: 2020-05-30 22:12:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,541
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19412440
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yami0204/pseuds/yami0204
Summary: Rest your head, my child, and listen to this sweet tale I weave for you. There is kindness and love in this world, but there is also cruelty and hate. Soft, for this tale is for you this night. Please listen to it and know that the world is filled with beautiful things.





	The Prince in the Tower

**Author's Note:**

> I come with another fairy tale fic featuring fairy tale language. The inspiration is from a short fairy tale book published in 1973 titled "The White Deer." As usual, the language of the summary and ending notes are influenced by the language of "Wonder Tales of Baltic Wizards," a collection of Baltic and Nordic fairy tales published in 1923. Again, I thought to exclude names entirely, but realized that it would make things a little confusing, especially with two princes being main characters.
> 
> Also, I should probably explain what a vielle is, since they feature in this fic. A vielle is an instrument that is related to both the violin and the hurdy-gurdy. It is considered a type of medieval fiddle and maintains characteristics similar to that of the violin in its shape and design. It is played using a curved bow and can be played like a violin or between the legs. It isn't played very often nowadays beyond being played by those interested in early music, but its sound is truly unique and lovely.
> 
> Because this is an AU and written in an archaic language style, keep an open mind when reading it. The characters' personalities will differ slightly in order to fit more to the style of the fic's language. I hope you enjoy this!
> 
> ...it's so weird that this is my first fairy tale fic that doesn't include songs despite how songs are so important to it.

Long ago in a beautiful kingdom, a young prince named Wataru spent his days locked away from the rest of the world. His parents, the king and queen, forbade him from going outside because he was a sickly child and feared that he would get sicker if he played outside. So inside his bedroom tower he stayed, a window between himself and the rest of the world.

This made the prince quite sad. Beyond his window Wataru could see the townsfolk gather and play during festivals, music and frivolity so near to him yet so very far away. He watched the festivities every year to distract himself from his sadness. He would imagine what the townsfolk were saying and what the words to the songs they sang were. Doing this made him happy for a very short time, but he would quickly become sad again as the world moved on without knowing he was in it.

When Wataru was a teenager, young and pure, he found his gaze lingering on a particular minstrel who came to town for the warmer months of the year. The minstrel seemed near his age and was lively when he danced and sang, showing what fun it was to celebrate whatever it was that the townsfolk were celebrating. Wataru loved watching him, even if the minstrel knew not he was there.

One spring, Wataru excitedly waited by his window to watch the arrival of the minstrels and bards as they traveled in from the south and the east, hoping to glimpse the one he adored. He was a young man now, and each year he awaited the arrival of the minstrel that intrigued him. The minstrels and bards and troubadours came in waves, bringing their lutes and lyres, their drums and dulcimers, their harps and hurdy-gurdies. They carried with them ribbons and flags and painted wagons filled with costumes and props. The townsfolk busied themselves lifting the maypole high and lining the town center with booths and stalls. Everything was magnificent to prince’s eyes each year when spring arrived, though he had seen it all every year before.

Soon he saw the minstrel he loved, with his lute and his haversack and his eclectic sense of fashion. Like every year prior, the prince stared longingly at the minstrel, who was now a young man just as Wataru was. This year, though, the minstrel stopped walking and gazed up at the young prince and smiled to him gently.

Wataru’s heart fluttered and he froze on the spot.

He thought perhaps he had imagined that smile and that gaze, but as he found courage to move again, the minstrel stood firm on the ground below, looking up at the prince’s tower window and continuing to smile gently upward. The prince pressed a hand to the glass of his cold window, and the minstrel held a hand up in kind. Wataru wanted to open the window and shout to the minstrel and ask for his name, but the king had sealed it so the evil air outside would not fill his lungs.

A sadness fell upon the young prince, and he quietly moved away from the window.

As he sat upon his bed, tears wanting to fall down his cheek, he heard the sound of a lute playing outside his window. Wataru moved back to the window and found that the minstrel was playing a song for him, having moved as close to the tower as he could without touching the rose thorns and brambles that crawled up the stone of the castle tower.

The music and the minstrel’s voice made Wataru’s tears fall down his face. He stood quietly by the window and listened and ached. For just one day he wanted to meet the minstrel he liked to so much. For just one day he wanted to enjoy the festival like everyone else in the kingdom did. For just one day he wanted to be free.

Eventually the minstrel left, waving a hand as he smiled up at Wataru before walking away to prepare for the festival. The young prince kept a smile at his mouth for the minstrel, but once he was gone from Wataru’s sight, the prince fell to his bed and wept. He wept and wept for a very long time until a knock came to his chamber door.

Without Wataru’s say, the door opened and a figure rushed to his side, holding the young prince to comfort his tears.

“My sweet brother,” said the voice of Wataru’s older brother, Taiga, “what pains you so? Why do you weep so much?”

“Oh, my dear brother,” said Wataru through his tears, “why must I be locked away like this? I want to see the world outside and enjoy the festivals and songs out there. I want not to stay in here alone anymore!”

Taiga held his brother gently, “Your tears are true, my brother, but tears alone will not give you what you wish for.”

“Then what should I do, dearest brother?” asked Wataru. He pulled himself free from his brother and frowned deeply and sadly.

The older prince, who was older by two years, thought for a moment on how best to help his sibling. He loved his younger brother dearly and wanted for him to be happy, but the king would punish him if he tried to help his younger brother. Wataru was a bastard son, born to the queen from a lover who was not the king, and the illness that Wataru was told he had was a lie to keep him hidden. Even Wataru himself knew it was a lie now, but he kept up the ruse to placate the king. The king saw the youngest prince as shameful, and keeping him locked in a tower meant he could never see that shame. Even so, Taiga loved his brother and wanted the best for him, though his father would surely reprimand him for any good deed he paid to Wataru.

“Tomorrow is the big celebration,” said Taiga aloud as he thought. “We should don disguises and sneak out to enjoy the festival. Because we are princes, we are not allowed to play with the common folk, but if we pretend we are commoners, then we shall enjoy the festivities just as any other man! Do you like this idea, my brother?”

Wataru’s glee at this plan was great and he readily agreed to the idea. “Yes, dear brother, we will ask the servants for something to wear and quietly leave before sunrise! We can eat among the people and drink among the people and sing and dance and be merry with all!”

The older prince laughed at this, “I will go to the kitchen and see if anyone can help us with our plan. I will also find money so we can pay for whatever we eat outside. The common folk use money, so we will use it, too.”

“I hope we will make convincing commoners,” said Wataru.

Taiga reassured his brother that they will make convincing commoners as long as they insist they are foreigners. With Wataru’s worries soothed, they soon began devising their plan to go outside come the morning and play with the townsfolk as they welcomed in spring.

The two princes disguised themselves before the morning sun rose and slipped out of the castle and into town. For as early as it was, the town was already bustling with activity. The princes solicited a bakery for their morning meal, eating warm bread as they wandered through the waking town. At the center of the town square was the maypole high and tall, ready for maidens and lads alike to dance around it merrily. Surrounding the square were stalls and booths with sellers of all kinds preparing to sell their wares during the festival. As the brothers walked beyond the center of town, they found where the traveling entertainers were set up, and Wataru gasped upon seeing the visage of the minstrel he loved so much. The minstrel was more handsome up close, but Wataru dared not come closer for fear of being lovestruck more.

Taiga could see his brother’s hesitation and laughed lightly, “My sweet little brother, are you fond of someone?”

“Tease me not,” Wataru whimpered as he looked to the ground. “I have seen him every year and grown fond of him, yes, but I dare not talk to him. What if he thinks me rude for watching him so much?”

“Who is to say he knows you?” asked Taiga. “You are in a disguise, my brother. If he knows you, then perhaps he feels similarly, but likely he will not know we are princes at all.”

“You are right,” Wataru agreed. He looked to his brother before he looked back to the minstrel he liked. “Perhaps there is no harm in a simple greeting.”

The older prince patted his brother’s shoulder and guided him to the young minstrel.

The minstrel noticed their approach and smiled brightly to them. “Hullo, ‘tis early for folks to see me play! Are you so excited for the festival?”

“We are, yes,” said Taiga. “We saw the festivities being prepared and wanted to see what all there was.”

The minstrel laughed, “With how you talk, you’re not from this town! Are you new or passing through?”

“Passing through,” said Taiga. Wataru had hidden himself behind his brother as a shield, listening to the conversation but nervous to join in. “My name is Taiga and this is my brother, Wataru.”

“Hullo, Taiga,” said the grinning minstrel before moving to better look at the other brother, “and hullo, Wataru.”

Wataru’s eyes were focused on the ground but he nodded and gave his quiet greeting, “Good morning.”

The minstrel laughed lightly, “My name’s Kengo, if you’re wondering. I come to this kingdom every year for the festivals! It’s far from my home, but I like it here.”

Taiga nodded but Wataru lingered behind his brother, clinging to his back. The young prince now knew the name of the man who serenaded him the day before. Quietly, he repeated the young man’s name under his breath and found that he liked the sound of it on his tongue.

“Are you hungry, Kengo?” asked Taiga suddenly. “It is very early and I worry that you have not had your morning meal yet.”

“I’m a bit hungry, but well for now,” replied Kengo with a smirk, “unless you’ll be buying the food for me!”

“I will,” laughed Taiga. “Wait here with my brother and I will fetch you something good!” With these words, the older prince ran off, leaving Kengo and Wataru alone together.

Kengo tuned his lute while he waited and Wataru sat next to him nervously. Soon, the minstrel was playing a tune on his lute, a familiar tune that the young prince recognized as the song Kengo played for him yesterday. Wataru hummed the tune to himself as the young man played.

When the tune had finished, Kengo put down his instrument and spoke gently, “I know you’re the prince in the tower.”

Wataru’s mouth hung open but no words slipped from it.

“I’ve seen you up there by yourself for years,” Kengo continued. “You always look sad. I’d no idea you had such a kind brother.”

“He is very kind, yes,” said Wataru softly, “but he cannot do too much for me. The king hates me, so I stay in the tower. He put me in that tower and that is my prison.”

“What a terrible father he is!” cried out Kengo in anger. “To keep his son locked away like that is worse than what even a devil would do! I’m glad you escaped today and I’m glad you’re enjoying this freedom.”

“It is only for today,” said Wataru sadly. “By nightfall, I shall return to my tower and be caged again.”

“But why?”

“But why?” Wataru repeated.

“Why would you return? Only your brother seems to care, and even if you return, you’re not going to be the king. Taiga’s first for the throne, is he not?”

Wataru thought on this for a moment before nodding, “That is true. The castle is my home, but I will not be king. I simply live there like a ghost.”

Kengo placed a hand on Wataru’s gently, squeezing courage into him, “You’re out here unnoticed, yet you wish to return to where you’re unwanted.”

The young prince sat pondering this in his mind, the warmth of Kengo’s hand the only distraction for him. Soon, though, Taiga returned with pastries from the bakery and Kengo removed his hand to take up the baked goods offered to him. Wataru sat all the while with his head hung as Kengo and Taiga talked keenly to each other. Kengo made no indication to Taiga that he knew they were princes, keeping up the ruse that the brothers were travelers and nothing more. When all the pastries had been devoured, Kengo walked away to go join in the beginning of the festivities while the brothers sat together quietly.

“Dear brother,” said Wataru quietly.

“Yes, my sweet brother,” Taiga hummed.

“Would it be bad if I not returned home?”

Taiga let out a long breath as though he expected this question to come. “My brother, you have tasted freedom and now question the life you had before, like a bird freed from a cage, yet you do not understand the world beyond the castle walls, do you?”

Wataru shook his head.

“I love you, my brother, and want for you to have freedom, but I fear for your safety out here. Would you be able to survive without me by your side?”

“You would not come with me if I left,” Wataru stated.

“I will be king someday,” said Taiga coolly. “I cannot leave my duty. However, you can if you have the courage to do so.”

“Then why do you wish to stop me?” asked Wataru.

Taiga shook his head, “I wish not to stop you; I simply fear that you will be alone out here and you will have no one to help you.”

The younger prince nodded at this and stood to his feet. “We should enjoy the festival. We can worry about whether I leave or stay when night comes.”

Taiga took to his feet as well and both princes walked to the center of town where music and merriment could be heard.

The day was filled with dancing and singing, leaving the brothers feeling glad that they had ventured out of the castle to enjoy the fun and frivolity. The ribbons on the maypole were bound tight and as night fell, a bonfire was lit that all gathered around to dance and sing and be merry.

Watching the sunset together, the brothers were again joined by their new minstrel friend and they enjoyed food and drink as the sky turned dark above them. They chatted about little, Kengo plucking out fragments of songs idly as they enjoyed each other’s company.

It was Wataru who broke the silence with a question he had held inside him for all these hours. “Kengo,” he spoke loud enough for only the three of them to hear, “would you allow me to travel with you?”

Kengo smiled and shook his head, “I would love to, but I can’t. I travel alone, you see, and have little money for even myself.”

Wataru’s expression saddened as he looked to the bonfire beyond them. “I see. Forgive my asking.”

“He plays vielle quite well,” said Taiga with a smirk.

“Does he?” asked Kengo, intrigued. “I have a vielle that I don’t play much. Could you show me?”

Wataru nodded before glancing at his older brother with confusion. Taiga’s reply was a grin as they all walked to Kengo’s campsite. It was nestled among similar campsites and caravans, and from his tent that served as his home did Kengo pull free a vielle and a bow.

He handed the instrument to Wataru and instructed him to play whatever he desired.

Wataru nodded and bowed for them a simple yet beautiful tune. It was filled of melancholy, but also colored in hope. When Wataru finished, he set the instrument down and looked to the ground apologetically.

Kengo’s hands clapped together several times, “You’re a genius, Wataru! I’ve never heard a vielle sing so many emotions!”

Taiga wore a proud expression and nodded, “I said he could play quite well, and that was not a lie. Surely now you will consider him coming with you?”

The minstrel hummed in thought before nodding firmly, “I’m not leaving until after midsummer. If you’ve got your things gathered and prepared before then, you can join me, Wataru. We can play music together and you’ll have the freedom you’ve sought after!”

Wataru’s sadness melted away to reveal a genuine smile. “I can do what you ask of me,” said the younger prince. “I will take my vielle and what little I own and we can leave when the midsummer bonfire dims.”

“I’ll wait for thee,” said the minstrel. “I want to see your smile more. I want to see it every day. It’s so gentle, like candlelight, and I adore it greatly!”

Taiga laughed as his brother blushed at the minstrel’s words. They sat together and talked for a short time longer before the brothers had to return to the castle. Wataru went to bed that evening thinking only of how much he adored the minstrel Kengo and dreamt of the freedom he would enjoy in only a few months.

Wataru found courage as the months became warmer. The king and queen rarely monitored him, which made it easy for him to steal away to spend time with the minstrel. They played together in the nearby fields and forests, bathing their feet in the river and weaving chains of flowers to wear about their heads as crowns. Gentle gazes turned to gentle touching and quickly did those gentle touches became gentle kisses. The sun and the moon blessed their romance with their light while the stars above them twinkled their joy down to the pair of lovers. It was easy for the both of them to fall in love with each other, Wataru’s vielle softly harmonizing with Kengo’s lute.

As the solstice approached, they still had no plan for Wataru’s escape to true freedom. The prince felt it would be easy, as the king and queen always assumed he was hidden away in his tower, so little thought was paid to plotting or planning. Wataru’s plan was that he would simply leave as he had left each day before, only on that final day he would bring with him a pack of clothes and provisions for traveling.

One evening when the young prince returned from his outing with his minstrel lover, he lay on his bed and looked out the window. The moon was peering in silently and bathing everything in soft white light. It was in this stillness that he saw a strange shadow from the corner of his eye and the silence was broken by a low voice.

“Where have you been?”

The prince jolted up from his bed to find the king standing in the darkest corner of his bedroom. “I was on a walk,” he lied, the trembling of his voice betraying him.

“You are not allowed to leave this tower.”

“I know, father,” said Wataru quietly, “but I was restless. The weather is warm and I wish to enjoy it.”

The king moved into the moonlight, looming over his bastard son, “You are not allowed to leave this room. You are ill and must stay here.”

Wataru knew this to be a lie and frowned, “I am not ill, father, and you cannot keep me hidden here forever.”

The king bent down to look Wataru in the eye, his expression harsh. “You are right. That is why I am marrying you off to a princess from a far away land. If you live with her, then I shall never have to see you again.”

The young prince leaned backward, eyes wide with fear, “You cannot do that, father!”

“I am not your father, and you know that,” said the king coldly. Without any other words, he turned to leave the room, slamming the door shut and locking it from the outside.

The sound of the lock made Wataru move from his spot on the bed, testing the door. It would not move an inch. From beyond the door he could hear his father talking to guards, instructing them to make sure the prince did not leave the tower or his room until the king gave orders to do so. Hearing this broke the prince’s heart. He tried the door again, but it gave no movement. He tried the window, but the seal remained unmoved. Eventually, he gave into despair and fell upon his bed, weeping until sleep took him to the realm of dreams.

The next morning, the lock on the door clattered open and Wataru was overjoyed to find his brother entering with a tray of food and drink. Taiga set the food on his brother’s writing desk before joining his brother on the bed, pulling him into a strong embrace.

“My sweet brother, I cannot apologize enough for what has happened,” said the older prince.

“It is not your fault that the king is angry with me,” said Wataru.

“But it is,” said Taiga, his voice weak. “I was the one who showed you how to leave the tower, and now you are trapped here like a prisoner because of what I have done.”

The younger prince gave his brother a reassuring smile. “You showed me what true freedom was like, and I thank you much for that.”

“I do not deserve such a kind and sweet brother as you,” said Taiga as tears stung at his eyes.

Wataru touched a hand to his brother’s cheek, “Do not cry. I need you to tell Kengo what has happened. The king is marrying me to a princess of a far off kingdom so he will never see me again. Tell Kengo this. Tell him I cannot be with him anymore, but I will always remember him. You must tell him not to be sorrowful for my sake. Tell him these things for me, my brother.”

Taiga held his brother’s hand and nodded, “Yes, I will tell him. He will be quite sad to know this news, but I will tell him. You have my word, sweet brother.”

The older prince left quickly from his brother’s chamber and again the door was locked, leaving Wataru to eat his meal in sadness. From his window, he could see his brother in disguise running swiftly towards Kengo’s campsite. He trusted his brother to tell the handsome minstrel of his trouble, and he hoped that his beloved minstrel would forgive him.

Kengo hailed his friend Taiga as the prince approached that morning. He had expected his beloved Wataru to come in the afternoon, so seeing the older prince this early was unexpected.

“Hullo!” called Kengo as he waved to his friend. “What brings you to me alone this morning?”

Taiga’s expression was quite serious as he spoke, “My brother is in peril, my friend.”

Kengo’s smile faded and they walked to somewhere more private to speak. When they both felt they were far enough away from listening ears, the minstrel asked, “What has happened to my beloved?”

“The king has locked him away in the tower, posting guards outside all the doors and along its perimeter,” explained the prince. “Wataru will be wed to a princess from far away and sent home with her so the king will never see him again.”

“What cruelty!” cried the minstrel. “Why must the king hate his son so much? Wataru’s a kind and good person!”

Taiga shook his head, “Wataru is not truly the king’s son. The queen bedded with a court musician and that is how Wataru came to be born. It was by the queen’s insistence that Wataru be a prince, but the king has sought any opportunity to deny Wataru that right.”

“And now he is truly caged like a prisoner and will be forced to marry someone he doesn’t love,” said Kengo sadly. “It’s all too cruel. Something must be done to save him from such a fate.”

“If I were king, then I could do something,” said Taiga, “but to do so I would have to kill my father. I cannot do that.”

“Why not?” asked Kengo.

“He may be cruel at times, but I still love him as any son should love his father.”

“Then why not hire someone to kill him for you?”

Taiga laughed at this, “You wish my brother’s freedom so desperately that you would murder a king?”

The minstrel shook his head quickly, “Not I, no! I would never kill anyone, not even a fly!”

“Then I truly would have to do it myself,” sighed Taiga. He felt at a loss. He loved his father, but he also loved his brother. “Or perhaps I can convince the queen to change his fate for us.”

“What do you mean?”

“The king listens to my mother,” said Taiga. “If she can convince him that Wataru’s freedom would benefit the kingdom, then perhaps you both can live free together.”

Kengo smiled at this idea. “Yes, that sounds much better than murder! I know not the politics of kings and queens and princes, but if this can be done, then please do it so I can love Wataru without fear!”

“I will, my friend,” said Taiga with a smile. “For your sake and my brother’s, I will try my best to undo the cruelty of my father’s anger.”

The prince parted ways with the minstrel and headed back to the castle with new resolve. He would end his brother’s confinement no matter what. He wanted not to end his father’s life for the freedom of his brother, but he could not exclude that option. He would do whatever it took to save Wataru and give his brother the happiness he always deserved.

The queen took audience with her eldest son, allowing the young man to confide in her. She, too, was dismayed at her husband’s treatment of her youngest son and agreed that keeping him caged in a tower was a cruel punishment. Taiga pleaded with his mother to try and talk sense into the king, and she agreed to this without hesitation.

“Of course I will talk to him,” said the queen, “but I cannot guarantee that he will listen to my words.”

“He cares greatly for you,” said Taiga. “He did not discard you when you revealed that Wataru was not his child.”

“He threatened as much,” she admitted sadly. “It was not easy to convince him to keep me and Wataru here, even though he cares for me greatly.”

“Then is there no hope for my brother?” cried Taiga.

“There is if you offer him something that he desires,” said the queen. “The king hates Wataru because he is a symbol of my infidelity, which is why he plans to send Wataru away by month’s end. He has planned this for nearly a year, and now his plan can be hastened due to Wataru’s sneaking about.”

“It is my fault for giving him that idea at all,” said Taiga. He looked away from his mother’s gaze, feeling ashamed of his part in this tragedy.

“My son, do not blame yourself,” said the queen with a gentle smile. “I am glad that you showed him the world beyond his tower.”

“Yet now that tower is his prison.”

The queen shook her head, “Do not think such sad things. It is not a prison completely. We simply need to offer the king something that will prove that Wataru’s freedom is good for all.”

Taiga hung his head as he spoke, “While outside the castle, Wataru found someone he loves. I want him to be free so he can be with the one he loves.”

The sound of laughter bubbled up from the queen’s mouth, “My sweet son has fallen in love! I never thought he would know true love, but I am glad he found it. Tell me, who is the one who caught my sweet son’s fancy?”

“A minstrel from the southern lands,” replied Taiga.

“A minstrel is it?” The queen looked as though an idea had sparked in her. “Then I know what offer to make to the king to bargain for Wataru’s freedom. Come, my son. We must make audience with the king immediately.”

The prince followed after his mother, confused as to what moved the queen to know how to free his brother. However, the confusion did little to hide his excitement. If his mother had a plan to free Wataru from his confinement, then he would trust her with all his heart. He loved his motherly dearly and had faith that she could do whatever it was that needed to be done.

The king allowed for the queen to speak once everyone in the throne room had been asked to leave. Even Taiga was not permitted to stay and listen to the conversation that took place. The meeting between king and queen lasted for a very long time, but soon the door to the throne room was opened and Taiga was allowed entry into the large chamber.

The prince bowed before his father and mother.

“The queen tells me that Wataru has fallen in love with a commoner,” said the king. “Is this true?”

The prince nodded, “It is true, my king.”

“I see. Bring the commoner here to me. There is something we must discuss.”

Taiga’s eyes turned to his mother, and all she could do was smile weakly and nod for him to go. He bowed again and turned to leave, rushing out of the castle and into the town without a disguise on. The townsfolk looked at the prince as he raced through the streets towards the edge of town where the entertainers stayed in their makeshift homes. He called out Kengo’s name and from a circle of bards that gathered around a small campfire, he looked to the prince and was shocked to find him in rich clothing of silk and gold.

“My prince, what is the matter?” asked Kengo as he bowed deeply.

“The king wishes to speak to you immediately,” replied Taiga without delay. He grabbed Kengo’s wrist and tugged him along. “Quickly, we must go. It is for my brother’s sake!”

Kengo fell in step with the prince’s speed as they rushed through the town towards the castle gates, entering the portcullis and winding through the halls toward the throne room. Outside of the heavy throne room doors, they caught their breath before entering the chamber. Kengo felt underdressed for this visit, wearing not even his finest entertainer’s clothes for he was not planning on performing that day. He stood in the throne room wearing his ragged and soiled clothing while the opulent room about him glittered. The king looked as fearsome as he had imagined and the queen was as beautiful as he had imagined. They gazed down at him from the dais their thrones sat upon and Kengo bowed deeply to them both.

“You are the one who has courted my bastard son,” sneered the king.

“Yes,” said Kengo, fear evident in his tone. “I’ve loved him for many years, but only this year did I truly meet him and know his name.”

“How did you come to know him?”

The minstrel paused to find how best to phrase his response. “I come here for the spring and summer festivals. I’m a musician, you see, though my current clothes do not show this. One year, I saw your son’s visage in the window of his tower and was struck by how sad he looked. I wondered how someone with so much could be so unhappy, and that was when I realized that he never left the tower. Every year I would see him there, sadness marring his face as he watched from his window, and I felt the desire to make him happy. I played my lute for him one day, and for the first time I found that I could see the beginning of happiness in his expression. He wept, and those tears were filled with joy, yes, but also deep sorrow because he was clearly trapped. I’ve never seen such sorrow before in my life. When we finally met in person, it was so easy to fall in love with him. He’s gentle and kind, and the music of his heart bleeds effortlessly into the music he plays on the vielle.”

The queen smiled to the minstrel and said, “Thank you for your kind words. I appreciate knowing that someone cares as deeply for him as you do.”

“My queen, your son is the most beautiful person I’ve ever met,” said Kengo.

The king looked at the minstrel and said, “Then he is yours.”

“Mine?” The minstrel was very confused.

“Yes, yours. You are a traveler, are you not?”

“I am, yes,” replied Kengo.

“Then take him far away from here. I want to never see him return to this land. Take that wretched shame of mine and leave here forever.”

“But this is his home!” pleaded Kengo. “You can’t exile him this way. His beloved mother and brother are here!”

“Do as he says,” said Taiga firmly. Kengo looked sharply at him but said nothing. “To give my brother the freedom he deserves, this is a small price to pay. Please, show him the beauty of the world. Allow him to hear all the songs that this world has for him. Give him the love that my mother and I will no longer be able to give him. The king has decreed it so, and you must obey his command.”

Kengo understood, though he did not entirely agree, and the king ordered Taiga to take the minstrel to Wataru’s tower. They would gather Wataru’s things and Taiga would see his brother off for a final time. This was not how Kengo foresaw any of this happening. He wanted to leave this kingdom in triumph, with Wataru leaving under his own determination. Instead, they would both be leaving in shame and never be allowed to return.

The guards outside the doors of the tower moved aside for the pair as they freed Wataru from his confinement. The younger prince was overjoyed and embraced them both, but their grave expressions made him wonder just what price was paid for him to be free.

“You will no longer be a prince,” said Taiga after he explained everything to his brother. “You will travel with Kengo and never return here.”

Tears fell from Wataru’s eyes, “But I want to see you again, dear brother! I want to see both you and my mother!”

Taiga let free a long breath. “Sadly, you will have to wait until the king has died. When I am king, I will allow you to return, but you will have to wait for that day.”

Wataru’s sadness overflowed and he hugged his brother tightly as he wept. Kengo watched quietly as the brothers shared their final moments together, knowing that this would likely be the last time they saw each other for many years. It all was so sad to him, but he vowed to give Wataru as much happiness as he could. He loved Wataru with all of his heart and wanted nothing more than to preserve what little happiness he could give the now exiled prince.

Soon, the brothers parted and they went about gathering whatever they thought would be useful in traveling. Kengo helped in choosing what should be brought, as well as gathering items that could be sold for money along the way. Wataru carried his pack of belongings over his shoulder and Taiga guided them both to the castle gates. There, the queen waited to give her youngest son a final hug and kiss before the minstrel and the exiled prince were ushered out of the castle by the guards.

Hand in hand, they walked towards Kengo’s campsite and spent a final evening together in the town that was once Wataru’s home. In the morning, they headed north to celebrate the solstice in a different town, Wataru’s wonderment at the sights he was presented with being marred by the sorrow that lingered behind his smile.

For years they traveled together this way, from the north to the south and back north again, and eventually Wataru’s sorrow faded as he gained shining memories of life with Kengo. He missed his mother and his brother, but the memories of their warmth and love stayed fresh in his mind while he created new memories with the minstrel he loved so much. They became famous as a duo, playing their music to excited crowds in towns across the continent. Word of their popularity even reached Wataru’s home, where his mother and brother smiled at how well he was doing in the world beyond his tower.

The tower that was once Wataru’s bedroom fell into disrepair now that it was no longer used, the roses overtaking its crumbling form as each year passed. And as the tower quietly crumbled, the health of the king crumbled with it. The king passed away one winter evening, leaving Taiga to become the new king, and his reign would be remembered as the most peaceful and prosperous the kingdom had ever known.

With the king now gone, Taiga returned Wataru’s status as prince and ended his brother’s exile, sending messengers far and wide to find his exiled brother to tell him the news that he could finally return home after so long being away. He allowed for Wataru and Kengo to marry upon their return, which was the first marriage between a commoner and a prince to ever take place in the kingdom. The wedding was held in the town square and all were invited to celebrate their union, turning this special day into a holiday for every citizen.

Though Wataru was able to live in his hometown again, he continued to travel south each winter with his husband Kengo, who was now a prince as well, and they performed their music to all who would listen. When the buds of early spring began to bloom colorful again, they would return to stay at their castle home until the midsummer bonfire dimmed, then they would leave once more to travel the world until the next spring. They did this every year until they were too old to travel, yet they would continue to perform their songs for anyone who would travel to the kingdom and hear them. They lived happily together like this for many, many years, and played their music together until old age claimed them. Even now, the songs the pair of lovers crafted together are still played at spring and midsummer, allowing their tale to live on from now until those songs are forgotten.

The End

**Author's Note:**

> Sleep well, my children, for true love can be found. Dream of the future and dream of life. Rest your weary heads and know that morning sunlight will bathe you in love!


End file.
